A clinical trial of treatment of uncomplicated typhoid fever: efficacy of ceftriaxone-azithromycin combination

Background: Typhoid fever is a systemic infection caused by Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar typhi (S. typhi). It is a major health problem in India. It carries significant morbidity and mortality. Antimicrobial therapy is critical for the management of typhoid fever. Emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and nalidixic acid-resistant (NAR) strains of S. typhi has complicated therapy by limiting treatment options. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of ceftriaxone and azithromycin combination therapy in uncomplicated typhoid fever.Methods: Adults patients of blood culture proven uncomplicated typhoid fever admitted in the medicine ward of Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College and Research Centre were treated with ceftriaxone intravenously (2 g daily for 14 days) and azithromycin orally (500 mg daily for 7 days). Patients were clinically and bacteriologically evaluated during the study period and follow-up.Results: 96% cure rate was observed. No relapse was recorded.Conclusion: Ceftriaxone-azithromycin combination may be considered as an empirical therapy for treatment of uncomplicated typhoid fever in view of the emergence of MDR and NAR strains of S. typhi

The transient free convection magnetohydrodynamic motion of a nanofluid over a vertical surface under the influence of radiation and heat generation

889-897The main purpose of this article is to study the effect of MHD, internal heat generation, thermal radiation and nanoparticle volume mass on an unsteady free convection motion of a nanofluid over the infinite vertical sheet. Nanofluids involving nanoparticles of silver, aluminum oxide, copper and titanium oxide with a nanoparticle volume concentration range smaller than or equal to 0.04 were taken. The numerical solutions of governing boundary value problems were gained by the Laplace transform algorithm and symbolic computation software MATLAB. The effects of MHD, heat generation, radiation and nanoparticle volume concentration on the velocity, energy and mass descriptions are depicted graphically. The skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are also investigated

Intelligent computing in electrical utility industry 4.0 : concept, key technologies, applications and future directions

Industry 4.0 (I-4.0) is referred to as ‘fourth industrial revolution’ towards incorporation of artificial intelligence and digitalization of industrial systems. It is meticulously associated with the development and advancement of evolving technologies such as: Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical System, Information and Communications Technology, Enterprise Architecture, and Enterprise Integration. Power systems of today face several challenges that need to be addressed and application of these technologies can make the modern power systems become more effective, reliable, secure, and cost-effective. Therefore, a widespread analysis of I- 4.0 is performed in this paper and a summary of the outcomes, future scope, and real-world application of I- 4.0 on the electrical utility industry (EUI) is reported by reviewing the existing literature. This report will be helpful to the investigators interested in the area of I- 4.0 and for application in EUI.Analytical Center for Government of the Russian Federation.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6287639Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineerin

Physicochemical and Biological Evaluation of siRNA Polyplexes Based on PEGylated Poly(amido amine)s

PURPOSE: Use of RNA interference as novel therapeutic strategy is hampered by inefficient delivery of its mediator, siRNA, to target cells. Cationic polymers have been thoroughly investigated for this purpose but often display unfavorable characteristics for systemic administration, such as interactions with serum and/or toxicity. METHODS: We report the synthesis of a new PEGylated polymer based on biodegradable poly(amido amine)s with disulfide linkages in the backbone. Various amounts of PEGylated polymers were mixed with their unPEGylated counterparts prior to polyplex formation to alter PEG content in the final complex. RESULTS: PEGylation effectively decreased polyplex surface charge, salt- or serum-induced aggregation and interaction with erythrocytes. Increasing amount of PEG in formulation also reduced its stability against heparin displacement, cellular uptake and subsequent silencing efficiency. Yet, for polyplexes with high PEG content, significant gene silencing efficacy was found, which was combined with almost no toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: PEGylated poly(amido amine)s are promising carriers for systemic siRNA delivery in vivo

Swift trust and commitment: the missing links for humanitarian supply chain coordination?

Coordination among actors in a humanitarian relief supply chain decides whether a relief operation can be or successful or not. In humanitarian supply chains, due to the urgency and importance of the situation combined with scarce resources, actors have to coordinate and trust each other in order to achieve joint goals. This paper investigated empirically the role of swift trust as mediating variable for achieving supply chain coordination. Based on commitment-trust theory we explore enablers of swift-trust and how swift trust translates into coordination through commitment. Based on a path analytic model we test data from the National Disaster Management Authority of India. Our study is the first testing commitment-trust theory (CTT) in the humanitarian context, highlighting the importance of swift trust and commitment for much thought after coordination. Furthermore, the study shows that information sharing and behavioral uncertainty reduction act as enablers for swift trust. The study findings offer practical guidance and suggest that swift trust is a missing link for the success of humanitarian supply chains

Mapping Protein Interactions between Dengue Virus and Its Human and Insect Hosts

Dengue virus (DENV) represents a major disease burden in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and has shown an increase in the number of cases in recent years. DENV is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, typically Aedes aegypti, after which it begins the infection and replication lifecycle within human cells. To perform the molecular functions required for invasion, replication, and spread of the virus, proteins encoded by DENV must interact with and alter the behavior of protein networks in both of these hosts. In this work, we used a computational method based on protein structures to predict interactions between DENV and its human and insect hosts. We predict numerous interactions, with many involved in known cell death, stress, and immune system pathways. Further investigation of these predicted protein-protein interactions should provide targets to combat the clinical manifestations of this disease in humans as well as points of intervention focused within the mosquito vector